Apparatus for heat-treating substances packed in sealed receptacles



Jan; 19 1926.

N. H. FOOKS APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING .SUBSTANCES PACKED IN SEALED REGEPTAGLES Filed Dec. 8, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet l NAT m8 n h s, m o o o. o o o o o o o \oHwno 1\o ho o o 0mm@ m I JM n N 0 NN .0N .`J .Ww-kim... x ,n I bh. WN Q @my H @fkk $6 s NN .mW .9k m. ww M. m I l n.. \\Nh.. s N. s Il N y mi: WN. .mi s NN uw e ma. M WN mw. E w NN f .Q -I h u o n.L o eo o o oJ o o o \o o o o QN N L m. NLI QN mf WN W m. J .N.%W\N Nom 90 Km..

Jan. 19 1926. 1,570,235

N. H. FOOKS APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATNG SUBSTANCES PACKED IN SEALED RECEPTACLES Filed Deo. 8, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l nuentoz jVelSan li'oolas gi c Jan. 19 1926. 1,570,235

N. H. FOOKS APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING SUBSTANCES PACKED IN SEALED RECEPTACLES Filed Deo. 8, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jlwl Z294 1g v o o 0 VO n o o o o O 52 Jan.v 19 1926.

N.-H. FQOKS APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING SUBSTANCES PACKED IN SEALED RECEPTCLES Filed De. 8, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheei 4 wuantoz lVeson HIE-Olav.'

Jan. Y19., 1926.

- N. H. FooKs l APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATNG` SUBSTANCES PACKED IN SEALED RECEPTACLES Filed nec. a. 1924 v5 sheets-sheet 5l v v l VL: i F

gnovmtoz New@ Liao/ls.

Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT f OFFICE.

NELSON lIH. FOOKS, OVIE PRESTON, MARYLAND. APPARATUS FOR HEAT-TREATING SUBSTANCES PACKED IN SEALED RECEPTACLES.

Appneatien med December s, 1924. seriai- No. 754,603.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it knownthat I, NELSON H. FooKs, a citizen of the United States, residin at Preston, in the county of'Caroline and tate of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Heat-Treating Substances Packed in Sealed Receptacles; and I- do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, andy exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the `art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus whereby the'contenths of sealed receptacles may'be subjectedto the action of a cooking or sterilizing temperature for varying periods of time, and after being cooked or sterilized may be cooled before being discharged into the atmosphere, the cooking and cooling being effected Within a single tank.

IThe apparatusv includesl a tank having anv endless conveyer arranged therein for progressing cans therethrough along a .clrcuitous path part of which includes horizontal levels, means being provided for support-- ing the cans while they are being progressed along said levels.- In heat treating. food substancesit may be desirable to allow or not to allow the receptacles to be agitated as by rolling or turning about their axeswhile they are being progressed.4 My improved apparatus is constructed with a yview to permit or prevent the rotation of the cans or receptacles during their period of heat treatment andA to that end the said l'means for supporting the cans constitute endless belts'which are adapted to be driven at variable/speeds independently of each other, the arrangementI and construction being such that the cans being progressed by the conveyer may or may not be vpermitted to roll while they are being progressed through the tank.l

It is also an object`of-the invention to provide means which will-enable the heating period to be shortened. For effecting this purpose the invention` contemplates the shortening of the ypath of the can-conveyer in a manner'liereinafter appearing.

It is alsp an yobject of the vinvention to provide an apparatus for the purpose in'- dicated which will permit. the framework and` mechanism associated therewith to be withdrawn from the tank as a unit in case it is necessary to effect repairs' 'and the invention further contemplates the provision of means for enabling the can-conveyer to be suitably tensioned. y

The invention is also concerned with a method for heat treating substances packed 1n sealed containers, said method including the continuous cooking and cooling of the contents l of sealed receptacles by4 feeding them to an endless conveyer which is arranged in the circuitous jpath within the tank. or retort, the cans after being subjected to a sterilizing or cooking tem erature being passed through a cooling me ium before being discharged from the' tank.

-The various featuresof novelty and invention Will appear from the detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through the combined cooker and `cooler,'

Figure 2 is a transverse section on line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of one end of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1, showing the conveyer chain as passing 4directly from the uppery run to the lower run, thereby cutting out the intermediate loopst to shorten the can path in the tank,

showing how the canpath may lbe increased over that shown in Figure 3, but may be shorter than that shown in Figure 1, -by cutting out only part of the intermediate loops ofthe can-conveyer,

n Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view4 showing the manner of adjusting the telescopicV sections for taking up the slack in the can-conveyer,`said sections being shown in Figure 1 in connection withv the mechanism for feeding and discharging cans to and from the conveyer, y p Figure 6 is a fragmentary View 'showing means which will permit the conveyer to be readily severed,

Figure 7. is a side elevation of the layout'.

^ for driving -the operating mechanism of the apparatus,

Figure 8 is a detail view of a variable speed drive which may be employed in connection with the ap aratus,

. `.Figure j) is a etailed sectional view Figure 4 1s a'view similarto Figure 3 showin one manner of couplingabelt drum to a stu shaft to permit the latter to be disconnected from said drum.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken on line 10-10 of Figure 1, and

Figures 11 and 12 are fragmentary detailed views of the rotary valves shown in Figuresl and 10.

In the drawings numeral 1 indicates Ia closed tankhaving a removable cover 2 at one end thereof to permit inspection ofthe mechanism within the tank. The other end of the tank is closed by a plate 3, removably secured to the tank in any suitable manner, as by securing means 4. This plate 3 is provided near its top with a sleeve or extension 5, over which is telescoped a casing 6, suitable packing means 7 being provided to maintain a fluid-tight joint between the telescopic members. The casing 6 is adapted to be adjusted on the sleeve or extension 5 and such adjusting means preferablytakes the form of a plurality of screw bolts 8, suitably mounted as in perforated lugs 9 'on the casing 6 and threadedly connected with the yflange or rim of the plate 3 as indicated at 9, Figure 5. It will now be seen that upon turning of the screw bolts 8 a relative movement may be had between the casing 6 and the sleeve 5. Mounted across the casing 6 is a shaft 11 and keyed to this shaft is a pair of sprocket wheels 12, a wheel at each end of the shaft (see Fig. 10). Cooperating with these sprocket wheels are chains 13 forming partwof the can-conveyer,v said chains ng sho'wn in larger scale in Figure -6. As will bernoted from Figure 1 the canconveyer is anelrdless member and is arranged in loops within the tank to forma circuito'is'l path. for the cans. It will now be appreciated V"that the conveyer may be suitably`tensioned by adjusting the casing 6 von the sleeve 5l ojecting from' thef plate ,-45 @naming part-0' 'the tank. Extending be.

tween the chains 13 are paddles 14, it being understood that cans or receptacles 15 are adapted to be positioned between any two paddles for the purpose of being progressed' by the convey/er of which the said -ipaddles are a part.

Within the tank is a suitable framework generally indicated at 16, the same'being suitably braced to form a rigid structure which may be withdrawn from the tank, as will more fully appear hereinafter. Supported by the framework 16 is a channeled track.17 within which the conveyer chains 13 are slidably received, said tracks being ar- `ranged in a regular zig-zag or circuitous pat whereby the conveyer will be similarly arran ed as clearly indicated in Figure 1.

It wi l vbe noted that the tracks-.are `so arranged that theconveyer will travel through different levels. For convenience of descri tion the various 'levels reading from t e ging and maintain the same parallel tothe prevent the exchange lof heat between the top to the bottom may be identified by reference characters A, B, C, D, E, and F.

In order to prevent binding of the con-- veyer chains at the loops there Amayv be provided sprocket wheels 18, so-me of which may be idle and some of which may be driven. In Figure 9 the sprocket wheel 18 is shown as being mounted loose on a shaft 19 which is suitably supported in the framework 16.

Each of the levels A, B, C,-D and E of the conveyer has associated therewith a can-supporting platform in the form of an endless belt 20. Each of these endless belts is looped around drums 21 and 22, the drums being mounted on suitable shafts similar to the shaft 19, see Fig. 9.

It will be remembered that the conveyer is made up of paddles 14 which'extend between the sprocket chains 13, the paddles being arranged in spaced parallel relation on the chains. The conveyer is therefore of open construction and unless some means are provided to hold the cans in place between the paddles they would obviously drop away from the conveyer. The 'upper runs of the'endless belts therefore serve as' sup-v porting platforms to prevent the cans from dropping away from the conveyer. There is preferably associated with the upper run of each of the said. belts 20 a non-eXible platform generally indicated at 23. These non-iexible platforms 23 obviously serve `to prevent the upper run of the belt froinsagf levels of the conveyer. In order to prevent th lower run of the endless belts 20 from4 contacting with the-level of lconveyer there-4 beneath' said run is preferably guided over rollers 24 arranged in a plane above the ad jacent levels of the can-conveyer. In order to reduce the number of rollers `there may be provided a non-yielding guide 25 between the rollers 24 which will prevent the lower run ofthe belts from contactingl with the underlying conveyer level, as will be readily understood.

The endless belts are adapted to beindependently driven at variable speeds or to be held stationary as will presently appear.-

Mounted on the framework 16 in spaced relation to the bottom of the tank is a partition 26 having openings at each end through which the conveyer extends. The space between the bottom of the tank and the said partition is adapted to contain a cooling medium Such as water.. The partition is preferably made of some insulated'material to 'cooling chamber and the heating chamber thereabove. h Arranged below the bottom level F ofthe conveyer is a non-flexible plat' form 27 which prevents the vcans from dropping away fromth'e conveyer, saidjplatform extendlng upwardly as at- 28, a member29 13 being provided as a continuation of -said member 28 to constitute one side of a well or guard for the cans on the conveyer. Disposed on the other sideofthe conveyer is a guard member 3() which with the other-guard member constitutes the said well. At the other end of the-tank the platform 27 is continued upwardly asv at 31 to constitute with a parallel guard member 32 a well `through l0 which the conveyer chain passes, the mem'- bers 31 and V32 preventing the cans from rolling off the conveyer, said members at` th'ei-rtops being,curved to correspond with the curvature ofthe loop of the conveyer where it passes into the sleeve 5 and casmg 6. A baie plate 33 is preferably provided between the partition 26 and the upper end of the guard member 32 to prevent the heating medium from passing into the cooling chamber below the partition 26, and to prevent cooling water carried up by the cans from falling on top of the partition.

Associated with the casing 6 is a `pair of trap valves 34 and 35 for feeding cans to and discharging them from the conveyer.

These valves are enclosed in suitable casings 36, shown as forming part of the casing 6. The trap valve .34 feeds cans to the conveyer from a source of supply 37 and the trap 35 3" receives the cans from the conveyer and discharges them through a chute 38.

At this point it may be pointed out that the framework 16 and all the mechanism associated therewith may be withdrawn from y 35 the tank by merely releasing vthe securing means 4 ofthe end wall or plate 3, after which the framework may be drawn out of the tank for inspection or repair, It will, of course, be understood that the end wall 3 will be removed as a unit with the` frame 16. This is a valuable feature of the invention inasmuch as itpnot infrequently happens that the conveyer or other mechanism becomes ,broken ordisarranged, due to jamming of the cans. It will be readily appreciated that As is well known-in the art, some food substances require a .longer period of heatl treatment than others. Various Aforms of apparatus have .been suggested for discharg- 5 ing the cans from the retort at some intermediate point in the can path. Insuch apparatus however the cooling of the cans prior to 'their discharge from said point has not been attempted. As already indicated,

my method of heat treatment of the cans includes the cooling of t'he` same biefore discharge from the tank. In my improved apparatus I propose to vary the cookingper1od` by cutting out a portion of the can path, such cutting out being effected by shortening the length of th conveyer. Asindicated in Figure 6, the chains 13 of the conveyer are provided with removable pins 13. Refer- 'ring to Fig-'3, if it is desired to pass the cans directly from the upper run A to the lower run F inthe cooling chamber, the requisite amount of conveyer chain is cut out and the yconveyer coupled up, as in Fig. 3. The cutting out of a section of conveyer is readily effected by cutting out the yrequisite amount of chain 13 between any two given pins 13,'as will now -be readily understood. The cut out section of conveyer is preferably allowed t remain in position as formerly. For convenience of illustration said cut out or idle section of conveyer has been omitted from Figs. 3 and 4. The shortened can path between the top and bottom runs A and F will hereinafter be referred to as the path G. In order to prevent the cans from rolling o the paddles on the vertical run, or pathv ,inner and outer guards 40 and 41 are provided. The inner guard 4() is removably. positioned on the framework 16 in any suitable manner, as for example, by interlocking hookY members generally indicated at 42, and is positioned on the frame 16 before the ends of the severed conveyer are connected to form the can path G. The guard'member 41 is suitably positioned on the framework 16 by means not shown, it being understood that the guard member2f, shown in Fig. 1, is first removed to lpermit the placementv of theguardmember 41. Said guardmeIIl-bers 40 and 41 obviously constitute a well within which the conveyer travels, and within which the cans o r receptacles are confined on the conveyer, "6' 'a l" If a longer cooking period is than would be given by transferring t-he cans directly from the upper run A to the lower runF, as described, such longer period may be obtained by transferring the cans from the conveyer level C, as 'indicated at Fig. 4, it being understood that the mode of operation of' cutting out a 'section of the conveyer is the same as that previously described in connection with Fig. 3. The inner and outer guard members will bc c'orrespondinglyshortened, as indicated at 40 and 41.

The above deScrib/ed'manner of shortening the cooking period by cutting out sections of the can-conveyer may obviously 'be practiced in connection with an apparatus having more loops of the conveyer thanthat illustrated inthe lpresent drawings. The

apparatus as illustrated provides for threel distinct cooking periods, namely: that given" by the maximum .length of can path shown shown in Fig. 4.

As previously indicated above, the endless.

belts 20 may be independently driven at variable speeds or need not be driven, as circonveyer levels A, B, C, I) and E,^respecv tively. The various platform belts are driven at alternate ends in order to simplify the belt driving layout.

Any suitable form of variable speed drive for the platform belts may be employed, a conventional form being illustrated in Fig. 8, reference character T indicating the handle for varying the diameter' -attire driving pulleys U and V, the belt betwensaid pulleys being indicated at W, and the ower belg for driving the pulleys being indlcated at In order to hold the platform belts 20 stationary any suitable locking means as generally indicated at 45, Fig. 8, is provided. The meansv shown comprise a handle having a pin or stop for engagement with the pulley Y on the shaft 19.' It is desirable toprovide said locking means 45 to prevent the plat- .the tank 1, the

` form belts 2O from being moved by the friction of the cans thereon as they are being progressed by the conveyer. It will now be seen that the various platform belts 20 may be driven independently of each other at variable speeds, or may be held from rotation as the case may be,` by themechanism described.

The shaft 19 includes a stub shaft 46, as shown in Fig. 9, the shaft 46 being removably and non-rotatably coupled to the main shaft 19, the latter being shown as having an enlarged socketl 19 within which the splined end of the stub shaft 46 is'received. The enlarged part 19 of the shaft 19 is suitably supported in a bearing formed inthe frame 16. The shaft 46 extends through a Huid-tight packing through the wall of packing box being generally indicated at 47.

The purpose of providing the shaft 19 with a removable stub shaft 46 is to permit the stub shaft 46 to be Withdrawn from the Shaft 19, so that the frame or framework 16 can be withdrawn from the tank, as previously explained. In uncoupling the stub shaft from the shaft 19 the'packing box 47 in mesh with a worm on the shaft 51, extending from an electric motor 52. 'ljhe other end of the shaft 11 is provided with 'a gear 53 which meshes with gears 54 andy 55,v mounted on the shafts on which the trap valves 34 and 35 are mounted, said shafts being indicated at 34 and 35', respectively.

Inasmuch as the trap valves and conveyer are intergeared, there is obtained the. necessarysynchronization between the trap valves and the conveyer, as will be readily understood.

The trap valves are so constructed that cans may be trapped into and out of the tank 1 with minimum leakage of heating medium or pressure Within the tank. The valves are shown in the nature of drums having a series of can pockets 60, the pockets being separated bv packing bars 61 maintained in fluid-tight relation to the interior Wall of the casing 36 by means of springs 62. The

packing bars 61 are of greater. length than the openings, through which the cans pass to and from said valves, in order to hold the packing bars in place, as will be readily understood. In order to prevent leakage of heating medium or pressure at the ends of the valves there is provided a circular packing ring 63 at each end of the valve, said ring being held in close contact with the valve by means of coil springs 64 mounted in. suitable housings in the side walls of the valve casings or housings 36, as clearly indicated in Fig. 12. The valve construction need not be further described, as 1t forms no part of the present invention.

The cooling Water is enteredinto the tank through a suitable conduit 70, there being also provided an overflow conduit 71 immediately below the partition 26. The cooling water is allowed to flow into the tank continuously in order to maintain a desired temperature of the cooling medium, the desired level of cooling medium being determined by the overflow 71. The heating medium is entered into the tank through a plurality of conduits 72, as shown in Fig. 1. The heating medium will preferably be steam maintained under suitable pressure to glve a desired cooking or sterilizing temperature. While I have shown an insulated partition 26 as located above the body of the cooling liquid, it is within the spirit of the invention to omitthe said partition, inasmuch as vI have found that cooking and cooling can be continuously carried on without any 'such structure. the exchange of heat between steam and Water not being sufficient to prevent successful operation of the method and apparatus. stood that 'the apparatus is primarily 'designed as a pressure cooking and cooling device. The cooling of the cans is necessary or desirable in order to reduce the internal pressure of the can-s before they are dis-l -charged into the atmosphere. By,cooling 1 lizing temperature. The reduction of temperature thus effected in cooling will be sufficient toreduce the internal pressure to a point which can be readily withstood bythe cans when discharged.

The mode of operation will be readily un` derstoodfrom the above description, but attention may again be called to the fact that the cans pass through a definite path to permit their being properly cooked or sterilized, and after such sterilization pass through a cooling medium and thence out into the atmosphere. The cooking period may be varied by changing the effective length of the can path. i

It is to be further understood that in the drawings no attempt has been made to show the particular type of belt 2O which may be employed. Said belts may be vofv any suitable or preferred construction, for example a metallic belt of open construction, as a mesh belt. It may be further pointed out that the members around which thesaid belts 20 are looped will be adapted to the particular type of belt employed,Vv being drums or sprockets as the particular type of belts mayrequire.

As already indicated, the can-conveyer is' made up of a pair of endless chains which support paddles or pusher bars 14, arranged in uniformly spaced parallel relation across the chains. The space betweena pair of pusher bars constitutes a compartment between which the cans may be received in recumbent axially lined' position, it being understood that,the cans are fed to the conveyer in axially lined groups and are also discharged fromthe conveyer through the valve 35 in a similar condition.

When there is relative movement between the can-qconveyer and the underlying endless belt which supports the cans, the frictional resistance between the cans and the supportingbeltA is suflioient to cause the cans to rotate about their yax'es as theyl are being moved or progressed by the conveyer. yIn certain classes of goods, such as peas, the agitation imparted to the goods bythe rotation of the cans, as stated, is very objectionable inasmuch as such agitation tends to crush the goods and reduce them to a more or less pulpy mass. By moving the beltsatv l Vconveyer such classes of substances or goods which' are advantageously -agitated may be agitated by rotation of their containers or v conveyer.

-of endless belts disposed transverse cans to any desired degree. It will be ap-` preciated that the greater the relative degree `of movement'between the conveyer and the underlyingican supporting the belt, the greater will be the rotative movement of the cans. The required amount of agitation or rotative movement of the cans about their.. axes will ordinarily be obtained by holding the can-supporting belts 2O stationary, but if greater agitation' or rotation of holding the said belts stationary, the belts may be driven in a direction opposite from thatv to which the conveyer is moving, as will be readily understood. The drawings do not show the lowermost horizontally disposed section of the conveyer as being provided with a movable platform or belt but it is obviously within the scope ofthe invention to provide such a movable platform or belt so that the cans may belprevented from rotation throughout practically their entire course of movement'through the tank.

As previously indicated ,the cooking or sterilizing of thecontents of the cans or receptacles is lpreferably effected under high temperatures and pressure and the tank or shell is therefore constructed t'o withstand internal pressure. y

It is obvious that various details vof conl'struction may be varied without departing Apart of whichA includes horizontal levels,

means for supportin .the cans while .they are being progressed along ksaid j; levels, means for moving said last named means whereby the `cans may be progressed by saidyconveyer with or Without rotary lmotion about their axes, and means for feed ing cans to and discharging them from the 2. The combination of a tank, a Iplurality ferent levels therein, an endless can-conveyer having portions of its length disposed in parallel relation to the upper runs of said belts jand being open on its'- bottom whereby the cans progressed thereby may rest on the upper runs of said belts, mea-ns for driving said belts at variable speeds independently of said conveyer whereby the cans resting on said belts may be progressed with or without rotation about ,their axes, and means'for feeding and discharging cans to and from said conveyer. 3. TheV combination of al tank, can `supporting platforms disposed transversely at I 11i y at dit 'l5 the cans is desired than that afforded by ing the cans between a palr of loops at the dierent levels therein, an endless canconveyer having portions of its length disposed in parallel relation to saidplatforms, means for shortening the path o travel of the cans comprising means for cutting out portions. of said conveyer and associated platforms, `and means for guiding the cans along the shortened path.

4. The combination of a-tank, an endless can-conveyer arranged in loops therein, means for supporting the cans between the looped ends of the conveyer, means, for cutting out a section of conveyer to shorten the can path, and means extending between a pair of looped endsof the conveyer for retaining the cans in place on ,theA conveyer along the shortened path.

5. The combination of a tank, an endless can-conveyer arranged in loops therein, said conveyer comprising a pair of spaced endless members across which, ext-end spaced parallel bars for pushing cans placed in front thereof, means for Supporting the cans between the loops of the conveyer, means at each loop of the conveyer for holding the cans in place between said bars while the conveyer is making the loop, means for passsame end of the tank comprising means for cutting out lthat section of conveyer between the said pair of loops, and means for retaining the cans on the conveyer along that section of the same extending between said pair of loops.

6. The combination with a tank, of an endless conveyer arran ed in a circuitous .path therein, a telescopic outside extension on said tank into which said conveyer extends and within which it is supported in looped position, means for shifting the mov- -able element of said extension to suitably A tension the conveyer, andpmeans carried by said movable element forv feeding cans to e' and discharging them from the conveyer.

7. The combination with a tank, of aV framework within the tank adapted to be Withdrawn therefrom, a cover plate removably'secured to one end of the tank, an outwardly extending casing on said cover plate,

a rotatable shaft member within said casing, an endless can-conveyer loo ed' about said shaft member and supported 1n loops onfsaid framework, means supported by said'casing for feeding cans to and from said conveyer, saidcover plate upon being loosened from the-tank'permitting the said framework and conveyer to be withdrawn from -.the tank, and means for varying the relativedistance 4between said shaft member and the framerality bf endless belts supported in spaced relation thereon, the upper run of said belts constituting supporting platforms for cans.

said framework adapted to be removed from said tank upon disconnecting said stub shafts from said rotatable means.

9. In combination, a tank, an endless canconveyer mounted therein and having a portion of its length extending along the bottomv of the tank, a partition extending across the tank above the said portion o? conveyer whereby a chamber is formed between the partition and bottom of the tank,

the conveyer leading through said partition at the ends thereof, the conveyer above said partition being arranged in transversely disposed loops, means for. conducting a cooling liquid into the said chamber, means for conducting a heating vmedium into that portion of the tank above said partition, means for feeding and discharging cans to and from said conveyer, and means for cutting out some of the loops of conveyer to shorten the path of the cans.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination of a conveyer including a pair of endless chains, sprocket wheels around which portions of said chains are looped, a shaft for sup ort'ing said wheels in pairs, a drum aiiixed on said shaft between said chalns, an endless belt looped ioo about said drum, and means for rotatmg said shaft.

11. In a device of the character described, vthe combination of a tank, a framework within the tank, a shaft supported by said framework, a drum aiiixed on said shaft, a

sprocket wheel mounted loose on said shaft at each end of the drum, endless chains in mesh with said sprocket wheels, an endless.

belt looped about said drum and a removable shaft extending throu h the wall of the tank and interlocked Wit said `shaft for drivin the latter.

the combination` of a tank, a framework removably positionedin the tank, a plurality of shafts supportedby said framework, a can-conveyer, a plurality of endless belts, means on said shafts for` supporting said belts and rtions of the can-conveyer means for living said canconveyer and belts independently of each other, and means for holding said belts from movement when "the driving means for the same are not effective.

^ 13. In a device of the character described,

12. n a devicefof the character described,

rio

the combination of a framework, an endless f conveyer supported thereon in looped position at different levels, lmeans permittmg the cnnvever fn ha. severed smrl nnnnnn-.nl -n v tend direct from one loop terminal to another, and guards removably positioned on the framework between said loop terminals, said guards constituting a well through which the conveyer is adapted to pass from said. loop terminals, whereby cans being progressed by the conveyer within said well are held in place on the conveyer.4

14. In a device of the character described, the combination ot' a framework, an endless conveyer supported thereon in looped position at dille-rent levels, means permitting the conveyer to be severed and connected to extend direct from one loop terminal to another, guards removably.positioned on the framework between said loop terminals, said guards constituting a well through which the conveyer 1s adapted to pass from said loop terminals, whereby cans being progressed by the conveyer within said well are held in place on the conveyer, and a tank within which the framework is positioned, that end of the tank adjacent said guards having a removable cover permitting access to said guards.

15. In a device of the character described,`

means Jfor advancing recumbent cans, independent means for supporting the cans, and means for advancing the supporting means whereby the rotation ot the cans can be controlled.

16. In combination, a can conveyer having spaced pusher members between which cans may be positioned end to end, and means capable of movement independently of the conveyer for supporting the cans in position between said pusher members, said means when moved at the same linear rate as the con veyer supporting the cans without rotation. 17. In combination, a can conveyer having a portion disposed in a horizontal position, said conveyer having transversely extending pusher members arranged in spaced relation to 'form can receiving compartments within which the cans may be disposed in recumbent axially'lined position, a belt arranged in close parallel relation to the said horizontally disposed portion of conveyer whereby the.cans

on said belt, and means for independently moving said belt whereby the rotative movement ot the cans may be controlled.

18. In combination, a closed she-ll or tank adapted to withstand internal fluid pressure, a can conveyer arranged Within the shell in a zig-zag path, selected portions of the conveyer being arranged in 'horizontal paths, said conveyer' having spaced transversely extending pusher bars between which cans are adapted to be placed in recumbent position, a belt disposedl in close parallel relation below a horizontally arranged portion of the said conveyer for supporting the recumbent cans, means permittingthebelt to be moved independently of the conveyer atvariable speeds whereby rotative movement of the cans about their axes'rnay be controlled, and means for feeding cans to and discharging them from the conveyer.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

NELSON H., FooKs,

between said pusher bars may rest 

